Midhurst vicar embarks on 100-church pilgrimage for Ride + Stride
- Aug 6
- 2 min read
An enterprising and motorbike-mad vicar from Midhurst is embarking on an epic pilgrimage at the end of this month to raise much-needed funds for the Sussex Historic Churches Trust.
The Revd Marcus Collie, vicar of Midhurst and Rector of All Hallows, Woolbeding, plans to pray in 100 churches across the Diocese of Chichester – traversing right from one end of Sussex to the other on the back of his newly-acquired Suzuki V-Strom.
Marcus’s five-day pilgrimage gets underway on August 24th. He’s starting off at the 12th-century parish church of St Mary’s in the centre of Rye and will end – 100 churches and five days later - at Chichester Cathedral.
The vicar is undertaking the pilgrimage under the umbrella of the Ride + Stride event which takes place every year to raise funds for local churches as well as the Sussex Historic Churches Trust. The official Ride + Stride Day this year is September 12.
Marcus, who became vicar of Midhurst and Rector of All Hallows, Woolbeding in September 2023, is also a governor and chaplain at Midhurst Primary School. Many of the 100 churches he will be praying at have received Trust grants in the past to help with vital repairs and restoration.
Marcus said: “I’ve always been a huge supporter of Ride and Stride and have taken part every year since I became the incumbent for the joint benefice three years ago. When I broke my foot in 2024, I couldn’t participate as a cyclist so I organised a “Ride and Hobble” instead. This involved leading a merry band of parishioners who use mobility aids on a “hobble” through Midhurst, finishing up with much-needed refreshments at the church!”
Sussex Historic Churches Trust chairman Chris Whittick said: “This pilgrimage is a wonderful initiative and definitely one of the most unusual and ambitious Ride + Stride fundraising activities we have heard about. We are incredibly grateful that Marcus has chosen the Trust as the beneficiary of his endeavour.”
How to make a donation To make a donation to Marcus's fundraiser, please click here or scan the QR code.
Follow along You can follow Marcus’s progress on Midhurst Parish Church’s Instagram and Facebook accounts. The vicar is very much hoping that others will join him at various points during his pilgrimage. See the interactive Google map below which shows Marcus's epic route.
Ride + Stride 2026
This year’s Ride + Stride takes place on September 12th. Ride + Stride plays a vital role in raising funds for places of worship and, nationally, raises more than £.15 million every year. In the last year, the Sussex Historic Churches Trust has awarded some £90,000 to help churches carry out essential repairs and restoration.
Half the money raised during Ride + Stride goes to participants’ nominated place of worship while the other half goes to the Sussex Historic Churches Trust. For more information, see the Trust’s Ride + Stride page where you'll find lots of information for churches and would-be participants on how to take part.
